Patient safety report: high patient-approval ratings but confusion about medication disposal

According to a patient study released by Stericycle, Inc., most patients in the U.S. feel that their healthcare providers are delivering safe medical care and following best practices with more than 90 percent of patients surveyed stating they felt safe and protected when receiving care at a doctor's office, hospital, urgent care or other medical facility within the last year.

Other findings showed that patients were unsure of what to do with leftover or unused prescription medications, which is generally viewed as a potential barrier to preventing opioid abuse and improper waste disposal. This is particularly important since the report found that more than one in four patients said they received a prescription for highly-addictive painkillers, such as Vicodin, Oxycodone, and others within the last year.

"The Patient Safety Report," contains feedback from 1,200 U.S. patients. Here’s a snapshot of what patients said about the healthcare providers they visit:

· Took the time to make sure they understood medications they were prescribed (91 percent)

· Took the time to explain care/medication follow-up instructions (93 percent)

· Routinely washed their hands, wore gloves and took precautionary sanitary measures (94 percent)

· Administered shots or drew blood by putting on a fresh pair of gloves before starting the process (94 percent), cleaning the site for injection (89 percent) and disposing of syringes in a red sharps container (84 percent)

· Had access to and used medical waste bins to dispose of medical waste (92 percent)

· Was genuinely concerned about their health or well-being (94 percent)

Regarding safe medication handling and disposal, 48 percent of patients said they were instructed by their caregiver on how to properly dispose of prescription medication, yet only one in 10 could say they knew how to do it.  Here’s a sampling of what some patients said they are doing with their unused medications:

· Flushing medication down the toilet (17 percent)

· Throwing it away in the trash/garbage (16 percent)

· Holding onto unused prescriptions (17 percent)